Issue of EVMs
Bhopal: Divergent views emerged among Congress leaders on the issue of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) following the party’s significant defeat in Madhya Pradesh. While former chief ministers Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh raised concerns about the fairness of the elections, Ajay Singh, elected from Churhat, and Laxman Singh, who lost from Chachoura, expressed no qualms about the EVMs.
Approximately 24 hours after the BJP’s sweeping victory over the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, doubts about the authenticity of EVMs surfaced within the Congress ranks. State Congress President Kamal Nath, addressing the media on Tuesday, questioned the “fairness of elections” in Madhya Pradesh. After meeting with defeated party candidates for a post-election analysis, Nath expressed surprise at some candidates receiving fewer than 50 votes in their own villages. He remarked, “Everyone knows the mood in the state. Some MLAs informed me this morning that they received only 50 votes in their own villages. How is this possible?”
Digvijaya Singh took to his social media account to cast doubt on the election results, suggesting that EVMs might have been hacked. In his post, Singh stated, “Any machine with a chip can be hacked. I have opposed voting by EVM since 2003. Can we allow our Indian Democracy to be controlled by Professional Hackers? This is the Fundamental Question which all Political Parties have to address. Hon ECI and Hon Supreme Court, would you please defend our Indian Democracy?”
In contrast, Congress MLA Ajay Singh from Churhat dismissed allegations of EVM manipulation, accepting defeat and urging a review of the party’s leadership. Similarly, Laxman Singh, who lost in the Chanchora constituency, rejected the conspiracy of EVM manipulation and instead raised concerns about the alleged use of “Illegal money” in the election. He also questioned the roles of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the matter.
